The national netball team capped off a strong showing at the inaugural UAE Netball Cup with a runners-up finish, following a spirited fight against world No. 18 Namibia in the finals. The Singapore Vandas lost by nine goals (62-53) to miss out on the title in Dubai.

Despite the loss, the world No. 26 Singapore Vandas impressed throughout the tournament, finishing unbeaten in the group stage and proving they can match, and even surpass, higher-ranked opponents.

The national team delivered consistent and commanding performances throughout the tournament, securing wins against several higher-ranked sides such as the UAE (world No. 23) and Kenya (world No. 25), who beat Singapore convincingly in the finals of last year’s Nations Cup.

“It’s always tough to lose a final, but I’m very proud of how far this team has come,” said co-captain Toh Kai Wei, who earned her 100^th cap during the tournament.

“We showed that we can match up against better-ranked opponents, and this experience will only make us stronger ahead of the Singlife Nations Cup and SEA Games at the end of the year.”

Several players reached significant milestones during the tournament. Alongside Toh’s 100^th  cap, co-captain Khor Ting Fang, Tan Yi Jie, and Reena Divya earned their 50^th cap, while Priscilla Wong made her international debut.

Head Coach Tara Steel, who took charge earlier this year, praised the team’s progress: “While the result didn’t go our way today, I couldn’t be prouder of the team for their performances throughout the week. We’ve laid a solid foundation and shown that we can push top teams right to the end.”

The runners-up finish comes just a day after the team were named Team of the Year at the Singapore Sports Awards, with Assistant Coach Yeo Mee Hong recognised as Coach of the Year, in honour of their historic Asian Netball Championships title last year.

Daniel Ho, CEO of Netball Singapore, added: “While we’ve missed out today, the team has flown the flag high for Singapore. Their impressive performances over the week have given everyone a glimpse of how far we’ve come and where we’re headed. With the Singlife Nations Cup and SEA Games up ahead, we will have more opportunities to show that Singapore netball has what it takes to compete with confidence on the world stage.

“It’s also been incredibly heartening to see Singaporeans rally behind the team, from fans who turned up in Dubai, to those watching online and sending their support from home. Their belief drives us, and it is now on us to keep the momentum going.”

With the Singlife Nations Cup taking place from 2 to 8 November, and the SEA Games in December, where Singapore will aim for their first gold medal since 2015, the performance sets the stage for a promising second half of 2025.